CSA keeps farm, and farmer, heartstrong

Tuesday

Oct 3, 2017 at 12:01 AMOct 20, 2017 at 6:04 PM

STALEY — Beets, pumpkins, eggplant, okra, tomatoes, lima beans, popcorn, seasonal herbs and flowers … the list goes on. Heartstrong Farm in Staley has it all and then some, thanks to a strong one woman growing machine by the name of Eva Moss.

Moss, 25, leases 16 acres of the historic Marley homestead in Staley, near the Randolph-Chatham County line.

Her mission? To grow wholesome produce, beautiful flowers and healing herbs for her community through ecological means promoting biodiversity, soil health, local economy and strong hearts.

And she means it with all of her heart.

Heartstrong Farm came about after years of journeying, interning and going to school to make sure she was doing everything exactly right.

“I went to school in Tennessee and interned on farms during the summers,” Moss, who was born in New Zealand, said. “Then I realized that I was becoming more interested in the culture of farming.”

She first realized a calling to work in local food systems while WWOOFing on a permaculture teaching farm in New Hampshire. WWOOF enables people to live and volunteer on a variety of organic properties. Volunteers help on the land and home for 4-6 hours a day and hosts provide the food and accommodation.

While working alongside young farmers and engaging with local residents and businesses on community food projects, Moss was inspired to support the growing sustainable food movement. In her words, she became even more involved in grassroots advocacy work on behalf of sustainable agriculture and supporting the next generation of farmers while getting her hands in the soil wherever and whenever she could.

After earning her masters degree in Food and Agriculture Law and Policy from Vermont Law School and becoming a certified permaculture designer, Moss was inspired to intersect her passion for farming, community and food justice through the creation of Heartstrong Farm.

Where did the farm's name come from?

“When I started WWOOFing, it had been a very hard summer,” she said. “I was trying to figure everything out. I was interning at Pay It Forward Farm in New Hampshire and when I had my hands deep in the dirt and noticed I was singing Bob Dylan, I knew my heart was becoming so much stronger.”

Moss offers 20-plus varieties of certified naturally grown vegetables, flowers and herbs grown using regenerative farming methods (including crop rotations, cover cropping, minimal tillage, companion planting and feeding the soil) that are free from harmful synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Ninety percent of her veggies are grown from seeds in her greenhouse using the Eliot Coleman growing style (Coleman made a name for himself by growing all year long in one of the coldest parts of the country: Maine) and fertilized with fish and seaweed fertilizers.

“The soil has so many good nutrients in it,” she added. “My goal is to use minimal tillage so to not disturb it.”

Moss has only been working the farm since January and currently has just one acre in cultivation. However, if you walk around the farm with her, you can feel her enthusiasm grow as she explores the possibilities for expanding the farm.

“We grow on a small scale and grow using regenerative practices including cover cropping, crop rotations, minimal tillage, building soil through addition of organic matter, encouraging biodiversity and use of certified organic inputs,” Moss said, the words flowing from her mouth as she enthusiastically speaks about her plans for the future.

“Right now, we are in our first season,” she said. “We offer our produce, flowers and herbs for sale through seasonal community supported agriculture (CSA) shares and at local farmers markets.”

With the summer season winding down, Moss is gearing up to deliver autumn vegetable packages.

“Our main CSA pick-up location will be at our farm in Staley, on Wednesday evenings,” she said. “Members are invited to bring their families and friends to the farm to pick up their shares, take a tour, and hang out with us and other CSA members.

“At Heartstrong, we want to serve as many as possible. Shares can also be picked us at our farmer's market stands at the Fearrington Farmers Market, the Siler City Oasis Open Air Market, at Four Saints Brewery in Asheboro and at the Chatham Mills Farmers Market. We also set up at Randolph Health every week.”

Moss said that a “share” costs about $2 a pound and provides a family of 2-4 with vegetables for a week, as well as a sample of herbs and a bouquet of cut flowers (10-15 pounds of fresh produce per share, which varies with the seasons).

And did we say that Moss loves beets? Well, all root vegetables, but beets are her favorite.

“If I could grow beets all year round, I would,” she said with a laugh. “I'm all about the storage crops like beets and carrots.”

Three Leaf Beet Salad

Enjoy her recipe for Three Leaf Beet Salad. You can't go wrong with its spicy and sweet flavors.